As the death toll from the catastrophic Texas floods climbs past 80, officials and citizens alike are searching for answers—and asking whether more could have been done to prevent the tragedy.

One of the hardest-hit areas was the Guadalupe River, where water levels surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Among the victims were at least 27 girls and staff members at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer retreat that was caught in the storm over the Fourth of July weekend.

“Our hearts are broken,” camp officials wrote in a statement. “We are in contact with local authorities and continuing to search for the missing girls. We ask for prayers and privacy for all the families affected.”

State emergency officials described the rainfall as unprecedented, with four months’ worth of precipitation falling in a matter of hours. Some critics have pointed to alleged shortcomings in storm warnings, while others have questioned whether recent federal staffing cuts played a role.

Forecast accuracy questioned after flash floods

At a press briefing on Friday, Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd said the original forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) underestimated the potential rainfall.

“The forecasts we had expected 3 to 6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4 to 8 inches in the Hill Country. What actually fell went far beyond that,” he said.

However, meteorologists familiar with the situation defended the agency’s performance. “The forecasting was good. The warnings were good,” meteorologist Chris Vagasky told CNN. “But it comes down to whether people are receiving and acting on those warnings—that’s often where things fall apart.”